Good morning, Principal, teachers and schoolmates. I’m the Chairman of the Current Affairs Club, Chris Wong from 6A. How many of you have a Facebook account? I believe most of you have surfed social networking sites such as Facebook, and I also believe that you have heard about a mass-suicide group emerging on Facebook recently. Don’t worry, I’m not going to tell you never to use Facebook again because it just wastes your time and causes harm to you. Actually, I’m a Facebook user too. I don’t oppose the use of friendship sites. Today, I’d like to share with you some misuse of these sites and the dangers they pose for teenagers. Also, I’d like to talk about the right attitudes we should have towards social networking online.
There are two main types of misuse of social networking sites. They are, using those sites as a medium to bully others, and using them to call for some immoral actions. The first type is actually cyberbullying. Some people use the social networking sites as a weapon to attack others. They spread rumours on the Net and tease others. All these messages can be seen by people around the world, including the attacked ones. Don’t think this isn’t a big deal. It does matter! Teenagers who have been bullied by others on such web sites would feel depressed and suffer from emotional disorder. Also, they may be so upset that they get mental problems. Worse still, teenagers who are being bullied may even commit suicide because they’re not mature enough to face such a big challenge. A teenage girl did commit suicide because she was repeatedly teased by her schoolmates about her weight. This shows that cyberbullying can be a peril to teenagers. We should never underestimate the disastrous effects that cyberbullying can bring.
The second misuse of social networking sites is to use them to call for immoral actions like suicide, compensated dating and even cyber sex. The mass-suicide group on Facebook was actually a very good example to us that a call for suicide on Facebook could drive hundreds of people to do it. It was fortunate that a boy attempted suicide earlier than the rest of them, which made the case come to light. The spread of negative messages and call for immoral actions are really dangerous for teenagers. Teenagers may easily be trapped and agree to have compensated dating or go out with a stranger on the social networking sites.
After hearing all these, aren’t you afraid? No need to be afraid! If you have good and right attitudes to social networking online, you would be perfectly safe. Here are a few reminders to you: First, be responsible for what you’ve said on social networking sites. You should always think of the consequences of doing something and whether it will have bad influence on others. At the same time, you have to be careful as the friendship sites are in a virtual world. Don’t expose personal details and never meet with strangers. Lastly, be positive! Use the social networking sites to communicate and learn. Be positive and encouraging. A peaceful cyber world would soon appear. Thank you.